“Stubbornness and love,” said Sue Davis when we asked why, amid such a difficult economic climate for independent restaurants, she chose to reopen beloved Austin vegan institution Counter Culture.
Things are tougher than ever for vegan restaurants. Every month brings news of more closures. But Davis, who was forced to shutter Counter Culture in 2022 amid rising costs and declining foot traffic, knows the gritty realities of running a restaurant better than most.
“I’ve run this place on my own, with no corporate backing, since it started as a food trailer in 2009,” she continued. “I know how hard it is.”
After launching a successful spring Kickstarter campaign that raised nearly $50,000, Davis opened a refreshed version of the original Counter Culture concept in a renovated 1960s building in Windsor Park. Complete with a full bar, the new space is cozy, warm, and inviting.
“Austin needs a place like this, where everything is scratch-made and vegan, and nobody gets turned away.”
That sense of community has kept her focused on keeping Counter Culture alive despite the setbacks.
“I kept thinking about the folks who backed us on Kickstarter, the employees we gave their first shot to, and the people who found a home here,” she said. “Some of our alumni went on to start their own businesses. I want to continue as a launchpad.”
“And I just really, really missed cooking for people,” she added.
Counter Culture
What’s on the new Counter Culture menu?
At its new brick-and-mortar location, Counter Culture offers many of its beloved classic dishes, including Mac n Cheeze, Pacman Kale Salad, Reuben sandwiches, Breakfast Burritos, Crab Cake Benedict, and its fan-favorite vegan Turtle Cheesecake.
There are new options, too, including Jerk Seitan, Grilled Oyster Mushrooms, Miso Brownies, and a selection of juices and cocktails. The restaurant also offers seasonal specials, and ice cream sundaes could eventually join the menu.
Following a successful soft opening, Counter Culture is now open at its new home on Berkman Drive and is already welcoming crowds of eager, hungry customers.
Counter Culture
“It feels great to see so many familiar faces and new ones walking through our doors. I missed the regulars, the conversations across the counter, and the feeling of a full dining room,” said Davis.
“Some folks have told me they’ve been waiting for years to have our food again, and that means the world to me, [but] it’s also a thrill to feed people who’ve never been here.”
Community support will be essential to keeping the restaurant afloat, and Davis hopes this new iteration of Counter Culture will “be around for the long haul.”
“For me, success is a busy restaurant that treats its people well, and guests who leave full and happy,” she continued. “I’d love for us to become a stop for traveling vegans and a neighborhood staple for everyone else, the kind of place where vegans and skeptics can sit at the same table and both love the food.”
Counter Culture is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
